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Two Toronto city councillors want the federal and provincial governments to help keep the carp out.

Councillors Mike Layton and Paul Ainslie went fishing at Ashbridges Bay Park on Thursday to raise awareness of a motion they will put forward at the next city council meeting July 16 and 17.

The councillors — whose wards both have Lake Ontario on their southern borders — sent a letter to the federal and provincial environment ministers, urging them to work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers — currently at work on a plan — to swiftly find a solution to fight off the invasive Asian carp species before they get here.

“Our governments need to work closely with our neighbours to ensure we take co-ordinated, swift action against this threat,” Layton said.

Added Ainslie: “If we don’t, our Great Lakes will be put at risk forever.”

Asian carp were brought to North America in the 1970s to control algae, but escaped into nearby rivers during flooding and are migrating towards Lake Michigan.

If they hit Ontario, they will eat the food supply that our native fish depend on and threaten the $7 billion sport and commercial fishery industry, as well as the boating and tourism industry.

“They eat the bottom of the food chain and that steals food from native fish species,” said Nancy Goucher of Environmental Defence. “They reproduce like crazy and they can easily take over ecosystems.”

The environmental organization has just issued a report on how Ontario and Canada can prevent an Asian Carp invasion.

Goucher said she encourages individuals to report sightings of Asian Carp to invadingspecies.com or at 1-800-563-7711.

“We want Canadian governments to be encouraging U.S. counterparts to permanently close off the man-made links between the Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes,” she said.

Terry Quinney, provincial manager of fish and wildlife services with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters said past experiences with invaders like the emerald ash borer and zebra mussels indicate what would happen if the Asian Carp become entrenched here.

“About two million of us love to go fishing, which has a huge economic impact,” Quinney said.

“That’s what’s at stake here in Ontario alone, because they will outcompete the existing fish species that we find so valuable they will harm them and quite frankly we know from history that once they’re established, it’s virtually impossible to eradicate them.”

Toronto Councillors want help gutting Asian carp threat

Two Toronto city councillors want the federal and provincial governments to help keep the carp out.

Councillors Mike Layton and Paul Ainslie went fishing at Ashbridges Bay Park on Thursday to raise awareness of a motion they will put forward at the next city council meeting July 16 and 17.

The councillors — whose wards both have Lake Ontario on their southern borders — sent a letter to the federal and provincial environment ministers, urging them to work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers — currently at work on a plan — to swiftly find a solution to fight off the invasive Asian Carp species before they get here.